Shibuya's Composer
by Natalie Field
Summary: Sight has always been a problem for Yoshiya Kiryu. Not because of what he can't see, but because of what he can... The story of how Joshua became Shibuya's Composer. Please read. And review.
1. Blind

Please note that I haven't played TWEWY for a while, so some details may be off. This is the story of how Joshua became Composer of Shibuya… Kind of in drabbles. They're very short. And honestly, if I owned TWEWY, why would I be writing this fanfic? It's my first time writing a TWEWY fanfic. ^^ Okay, please give me reviews. Flame responsibly. I know this ain't the best fanfic out there. :c

**Theme 1: **Blind

Sight is a blessing. A blessing from God, some people would say. That's why you feel so bad for the blind most of the time. Sight has always been a problem for Yoshiya Kiryu (more commonly known as Joshua). Not because of what he can't see, but because of what he can. Like, why he 's the only one who can see very large animals… or not animals. They're weird, terrifying. They have graffiti on them, the graffiti he's used to seeing around Shibuya.

Or the fact that he can see people who got killed by these animals, these monsters, and nobody else but him seems able to see them. For a long time he just feels sad for these strange people because he's so young. Around six years old. He decides to ask his parents.

"Why do they have to die?" he asks, looking up at them with strangely older-looking eyes than that of a six year old.

"Who?" his father asks. Joshua keeps quiet. He knows that he shouldn't say anymore.

He figures out eventually by watching and listening that the strange people that nobody else can see are Players. The monsters are Noise. And then there's that word he's heard these other people, the "Reapers", say. It's a word that chills him to the bone.

To "Erase".

He picks up this cool looking pin he's seen the Players wear. He wonders why they wear it. He fingers it a lot and always keeps it in his pocket.

It's around this time when he's older, ten years old, that he wonders if there's something wrong with himself. If he's crazy. Because he's even started hearing voices. He wants to shut them out.

He keeps it all to himself. The Players, the Noise, the voices. He tries to ignore them. He pretends to be completely blind to the world that has opened up to him. He doesn't want to see it anymore.


	2. Learning to Listen

**Author's Note: **I know, I know. They're very, very short. But I'm used to doing stuff like flash fiction, so it suites my style better. ^^ Plus there's gonna be a lot of these little things. As always, please read (naturally) and review.

**Theme 2: **Learning to Listen

The only problem with the voices is school. It's impossible to block the voices all out.

_OMG. Don't let him sit next to me!_

_Aw, crud. I forgot to do my science homework… _

_Ack. I can't understand this no matter how hard I try. _

He keeps on hearing the voices, and they are entirely too loud. So loud that he has a hard time concentrating on what the teacher has to say. So, naturally, when the teacher calls on him to answer a question, he is completely lost. And he excuses himself into the hallway and actually walks outside the school. Outside he closes his eyes and lets the noise wash over him.

It's funny. It begins to sound more organized and more musical the more he listens. He figures out the reason he can hear the voices in the first place is because of the pin that he found.

He figures out how to tune the voices out. It's easy. He wonders why he's never been able to before.

He just has to think of the voices as background music, and it fades.

But he also realizes that he likes to listen now. The people are always left wonder, now, why Joshua goes to the roof of the school and then closes his eyes and looks as though he's listening to some far off tune.


	3. Relief

**Author's Note: **Not my fav chapter, but go ahead and read.

**Theme 3: **Relief

He's walking home after the ordinary, annoying day at school. And one of those Players comes up to him. It's a teenage girl and her eyes are so, so scared. Pleading.

"Noise," is all she says. Joshua's eyes widen. Noise? And that's when he notices an earsplitting, unpleasant static sound, and the unnaturally large frogs with graffiti legs hopping towards them. He backs away out of instinct, leaves the girl collapsed on the streets. Her eyes meet his again, and it's obvious that she wants help. His eyes widen and the demented frogs start attacking her, and he steps forward and yells, "Stop!"

But they don't stop. People look at him like he's crazy. He puts his hands up to his ears, closes his eyes, trying to wish the scene away.

_I'm not crazy. _

_Somebody help her._

But nothing happens and when he opens his eyes… the girl, she's gone. Wait, not all the way gone. But she's collapsed on the streets still, and she's fading. He doesn't know what to do, but stares until she fades away completely.

He stands there for a while, doing nothing, until he notices the adult standing next to him. It's a man. He's got brown hair and smells kind of like coffee, but Joshua doesn't notice all of this. He only notices one thing, and that is that the man is looking down at the place where the girl was. That he actually… saw?

"Do you see them?" he finally asks, his voice low. He stares at the ground where the girl had been. The man's whole body seems to jump a bit, and he looks around for the speaker until he sees Joshua. And his eyes narrow.

"What do you mean, 'them'?" he says. Joshua just shrugs because he doesn't know what else to do.

"I think I've heard they're called 'Players'," he says. This time the man's eyes widen. He composes himself in a second.

"Well, kid, what's your name?" he asks. Joshua tries to give a smile… however, it ends up coming out as a smirk.

"Yoshiya Kiryu," he answers. "But my parents call me Joshua."

"Nice to meet you, Josh," the man says. "My name is Mr. Hanekoma. Sounds like we've got a lot to talk about."

Mr. Hanekoma tells Josh to meet him at this place called the Wildkat café the next day. After he agrees to meet, Mr. Hanekoma walks off.

Joshua can't help but feel relief, because there's somebody else who can see it too.


	4. Game

**Author's Note: **Well... ummm... personally, I'm not a fan of this chapter either (big surprise), but go ahead and read. ^^

**Theme 4: **Game

"Hey, Josh," Mr. Hanekoma says as Josh walks in through the door of the Wildkat café.

He feels nervous, which is an odd thing for him to feel. He feels like suddenly he's been discovered. Like he's gotten into something and he's never going to be able to come back. But he knows he can't back out because he has to know about what he sees.

He waves his hand almost dismissively. "Hey, Mr. H." He pauses. "I can call you that, right?" Mr. Hanekoma has a grin on his face. He nods.

"Sure thing," he says. He gestures to a chair. "Sit down."

Next thing Joshua knows, he's sitting down across from Mr. H sipping a cup of coffee.

"So how long have you been able to see stuff like yesterday?" Mr. H asks. Joshua thinks as far back as possible. And as far as he can remember it's been…

"Since birth, I guess," he says, shrugging a little. Mr. Hanekoma stares at him thoughtfully.

"Hmm… That's pretty rough," he says. Joshua smirks because that's the understatement of the century.

"Like you wouldn't believe."

Mr. H laughs at this response. "What do you know about the things you see? Figured anything out yet?"

Joshua looks down at the table. "Just that the people who I see get killed, or Erased or whatever are called Players. And then there's these guys called Reapers and monsters called Noise." He adds bitterly, "And the girl who disappeared yesterday was definitely a Player."

Mr. Hanekoma nods. "Very observant of you." He takes a sip of coffee before continuing. "First of all, there's a difference between getting killed and being Erased."

"Explain please," Joshua says. Mr. H laughs again, noting how to the point Josh is being. He launches into his explanation of the Reaper's game. He smirks at parts, frowns at others. When Mr. Hanekoma finishes the general explanation, Joshua is silent and contemplative.

"Some of it seems unfair," he says. Mr. H is about to butt in and say something, but Josh sighs and continues, "But I guess life isn't fair, is it?" Mr. H nods.

"I'm glad you understood so quickly. Not everybody's going to be able to get a second chance," he says. "Aside from that, Erasure isn't the end of the world."

Josh goes home, thinking about the game…


	5. Intuition

**Author's Note: **I can see people actually read this, so I'm going to continue updating. I'd really like a review though. At least one. Please? Anyway, sorry for not having put disclaimers on some of my chapters. But it's kind of obvious I own nothing. The end. Continue reading (and hopefully reviewing). I hope you enjoy.

**Theme 5: **Intuition

Sanae Hanekoma starts watching Josh more. He's a strange kid, Sanae tells himself a lot. Not just to mention the silver hair and violet coloured eyes, but the way he carries himself. Like he's got a lot on his shoulders. And he's only, what, thirteen?

Sanae wonder as he runs the café how Josh's family life is. Probably not the best, he decides. He takes out his cell phone and looks at the time. 3:30.

"Hey, Mr. H," a very familiar girly voice comes from the direction of the door. Sanae grins.

"Hey, Josh," he says. He hands him some coffee and the conversation begins. The first thing Mr. Hanekoma notices is how tired Josh looks… So he asks what's wrong. Josh just shrugs.

"Oh, you're worried about me?," he says, giggles. Mr. H has come to recognize this as typical-Joshua-behavior and chooses to ignore it. Josh's smirk fades. "Well, in answer to your question… Family troubles. Nothing much out of the ordinary."

And he doesn't say anything more on the matter. But Sanae notices Josh has been visiting the Wildkat café more and has been more and more interested in stuff about the UG. Almost like the UG suites him more…

"I've got something to ask you," Josh says after some silence.

"Fire away."

"How come you know so much about the game?"

Oh… Those innocent violet eyes. Joshua smirks (again). He knows that he's just asked something that Mr. H is a bit touchy about.

Sanae smiles faintly. "Think of me sort of as the person who makes sure everybody does their job correctly. And I've been watching this game far longer than you have." That is one way to put it. Josh gives a sigh.

"Well, I can tell you're holding out on me but I'll choose to ignore it," he says. Sanae grins. This boy really is something else.


	6. Scared

**Author's Note: **Thank you for all those who reviewed. I really do appreciate it. ^^ Anyway, sorry for the slow update. I had a time of no inspiration. I think that's why I don't particularly like this little chapter, but oh well. Next one, I think, will be a much better chapter. Hopefully. Anyway, read, enjoy, and please review to let me know that the people reading this aren't robots or something. O.o

I don't own TWEWY. At all.

**Theme 6: **Scared

Sanae begins to notice after some time with Josh how incredibly perceptive to the UG he actually is. He muses over this as he looks outside the glass doors and sees the torrential downpour that is occurring outside. Oh yes, not to mention the frequent flashes of lightning and thunder rumbling overhead.

Perfect time for coffee making.

That's when somebody bolts in through the door. Sanae grins. It's a sopping wet silver-haired teen.

"Hey Josh," he says. "What brings you here today?"

The boy's violet eyes are wide, but they narrow quickly. "Is that a trick question, Mr. H?" He gestures towards the glass door.

"Hmmm…" Mr. Hanekoma prepares another cup of coffee and sets it in front of Joshua.

Joshua sips his coffee, trying to appear relaxed in the presence of Mr. H, but Sanae still notices that during a particularly loud thunder clap how Josh jumps a bit and chokes on his beverage.

Interesting…

"And I was under the impression that nothing could really scare you," Sanae says. Joshua's reaction is something to laugh at. He tries and fails to appear calm and annoyed. Finally he gives in.

"I don't like storms," he says. Stares at his coffee. "Everyone's scared of something." Sanae stops laughing.

"Yes, you're right," he says. "I'll stop laughing about it then. Still never thought you'd be able to admit it, though."

Joshua's purple eyes seem to harden. "Some things I don't feel bad admitting. Thunderstorms remind me of the night my parents divorced." Sanae stops grinning.

"Sorry, boss," he says. Josh arches his eyebrows.

"Boss?"

Mr. H shakes his head. "Habit. Sorry." Joshua shrugs but decides not to let this curious "habit" Sanae has go. There's something strange about Mr H. and he's going to find out what it is.


	7. Meddling

**Author's Note: **Thank you guys who reviewed SO much! First of all… I don't own TWEWY. Second of all…

**Valorous Roland****: **You deserve a special mention. ^^ You were the first person who reviewed ever, so you get brownie points. Thank you for all the kind words.

**BlazikenGirl100: **Oohhh thank you millions. That's very encouraging to me. I'm very glad that this isn't turning out predictable and such. I hope to surprise you guys. Honestly I think the reason I'm managing this is because I haven't read a ton of Joshua-related fanfics and I really want to go into serious detail. I apologize beforehand if it becomes "typical". You have no idea how many things I had to look up about Conductors and Composers and Reapers etc before I became confident to carry on with this one. XD Honestly I haven't played through the whole game. I've played through it on New Game+ and my brother had to beat all the hard stuff for me—I'm fail at gameplay. But I did manage to find all of the hidden bosses for them.. woops… sorry… rambled there. O.o

**Waffo eater: **Thank you! And I know, me too. ^^ 'Origin' stories are always interesting.

**Theme 7: **Meddling

Joshua really enjoys the look of surprise on a Player or Reaper's face when he looks straight at them. It amuses him in a way. There were moments when he accidentally couldn't tell the difference between someone in the UG and someone in the RG. He got better at this, though. All he had to do was concentrate very hard on the person and he could… hear something. He couldn't explain it, but it sounded more muffled to him when the person was in the RG.

He told this to Mr. Hanekoma one day.

Sanae looked thoughtfully at Josh. "I think what you're sensing is called Soul."

"And what might that be?" Josh asks.

Sanae's not exactly sure how to answer that one. He shrugs. "Guess you could call it the energy a person has within themselves."

Josh leaves the Wilkat Café and Sanae is worried. Because no kid in the RG is ever supposed to be able to sense that. Yes, the Conductor and the Composer… and the Producer, naturally, he thinks, but definitely not someone in the Realground.

Joshua didn't notice the worried look in Mr. H's eye for once. Actually he's more interested in meddling around in the Game (which, technically, he tells himself, isn't really allowed). But he's in the RG, so it's not like he can do much anyways. But he does come up with an idea. He comes up with it when he sees a Reaper walk into the Ramon Don.

The smell's disgusting but he knows that the ramen there is delicious. He catches sight of the Reaper again inside the shop—it's a girl in a red hoodie. Oh my. He sits right next to them on a stool and orders his favourite ramen (he has the strangest urge to say "Mmm I'm in paradise") and wonders what he's going to do now. He really wants to do something that would throw the Reaper off guard, but what to say…

"You been in Shibuya long?" Joshua says after a second. The Reaper tenses for a second and looks over at him. Apparently Hoodie Girl's not used to talking to people, he notes.

"…Long enough," she says. He comes up with the perfect question.

"Okay then," he says. "How long have you been in your current position?" Hoodie Girl looks confused.

"Position?"

Joshua smirks. "As a Reaper, of course." The Reaper's eyes widen, then narrow.

"Who are you?" she asks. Joshua giggles.

"Doesn't matter."

Hoodie Girl loosens up and gives a sigh.

"No, it doesn't," she says. "I'm likely to get erased soon anyways…"

This is the last thing Joshua wanted to hear. He doesn't like that word "erase". He stands up.

"I've got to go," he says. "Just focus on what you have to do. And if you get erased, so what?"

And with that he leaves. He feels like slapping himself. He just said something that wasn't Joshua-like at all. Of course, somehow Mr. H found out about Josh's little encounter with the Reaper and he's scolded for it.

"Bad idea, boss," Mr. Hanekoma says. "Don't interfere with the Game, especially when you're not in it."

Joshua shrugs, noting inwardly that Mr. H just called him "boss" again. "Technically I wasn't interfering." Sanae sighs. Really. Joshua is so hard to handle.

"You have power to do things in the Game right now," he says. "You can influence Players and Reapers. That's interfering."

"…"

Sanae has never seen someone look so dejected.

"You don't really want to be part of the Game, do you?" he says. Joshua doesn't answer out loud.

_I want to be the one running it, Mr. H._

**Please rate and review! :) Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know it wasn't the best. Actually... if you could in your reviews, tell me which chapter has been your fav so far. **


	8. Ambition

**Author's Note: **First of all, the disclaimer. I do not own TWEWY. ^^ Second of all, thank you to all my reviewers.

**Valorous Roland**~ Thank you! :D Especially since you pointed out my lil typo… you can tell I haven't played the game in a while. And I HAD to put in the ramen reference. HAD to. xD As for me always saying "This isn't the best", it's because I always see something wrong with every chapter.

For instance, this chapter might seem like it's going nowhere. It feels kind of static right now, and I apologize for that. I have more chapters written, however. Hehe, but I'm still going to leave you on a cliffhanger (well, it's not a real cliffhanger) for now.

**0er0**~ You've gotten my message. Thank you millions. ^^

Hope you all enjoy. :)

**Theme 8: **Ambition

Sanae is worried about Josh. Ever since he told him not to interfere with the Reaper's Game, Josh's been obeying, but there's just one little thing. He is still very, very interested in the Game. And he always seems to show some talent for something that Sanae wouldn't have thought possible for someone who lives in the RG. Really. If he ever got to the Higher Plane, he'd be one heck of an angel…

The thought of Joshua as an angel seems pretty far out there. The thought of Joshua having to become part of the Game, however, seems very likely.

Sanae doesn't want that.

That's why when Joshua asks him a certain question, he inwardly becomes very concerned. It had happened on a day when both Sanae and Josh happened to be shopping at Towa records at the same time.

Joshua had been looking at classical music, which Sanae had thought was funny.

"I had no idea you liked that stuff, Josh," he said. Joshua rolled his eyes.

"Mr. H, I take it you're not a fan?" His eyes looked accusingly at Mr. Hanekoma. Sanae shook his head.

"No, I am," he said. "Who's your favourite classical composer?"

Joshua held a CD which Sanae had tried to take a glance at but failed.

"Ever heard of Ravel?" Joshua asked. There was silence on the other end. He smirked. "Listen to him sometime."

The two had been walking to the café together when Joshua caught sight of a Reaper. He said suddenly to Mr. H, "Hey. How does the Composer become the Composer?" Sanae groaned a little inwardly. Big question.

"To become Composer you've got to beat the existing Composer," he said. He was surprised to see Joshua smirk.

"That simple, huh?" he said. Sanae looked seriously down at him.

"It's not as simple as it sounds," he said. And then they had split ways.

Sanae sighs. Again. He sees something in Joshua's eyes that he doesn't want to see there—a growing ambition. Because Sanae finally got the message. Josh wants to be part of the game. Maybe more. Maybe, he thinks, maybe Josh wants to be the Composer, then. But there's no doubt about it. If Josh tries, he'll get himself erased. Sanae can't let that happen. Josh is too talented to have that happen to him…

**... Dun dun dun. Just kidding. Hope you enjoyed that. The next chapter is already written and is being edited, so I can tell you with full confidence that it will be coming out soon. As always, rate and review.**


	9. Father

**Author's Note: **Thanks to everyone who has reviewed in the past! I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I've written many chapters ahead so now I know what's in store and these last couple of chapters, along with this one, are building up to something. I promise. Really. x3 Hang in there. Anyway, please read and review, etc. I don't own TWEWY.

**Theme 9: **Truth

A thought crosses Josh's mind one day. It goes something like this:

I. Really. Hate. My. Father.

Joshua watches his father closely. It occurs to him that his father, who had said that he would never fall in love again (very funny), is now seeing another woman. On closer inspection, Joshua notes that the woman his father is seeing is still very much married. The guy's a jerk. Really. So he decides one day to tell him.

And he does. He says it to his father's face during a particularly boring breakfast. His father, as expected, hardens and stares at his son.

"That's very disrespectful of you," he says in his lofty voice. Joshua smirks.

"Oh no, having an affair with a woman who is already married to another man isn't disrespectful at all," he says and giggles. "Come on, _Dad_, don't tell me to be respectful when clearly you're much worse at it than I am."

Joshua's father frowns.

"Since when have you become this way?"

Josh tilts his head and looks up at the ceiling. "Whatever do you mean?"

His father has had enough and tells Josh to "get the hell up to your bedroom right now". Joshua does so. Gladly. Once sitting on his bed, he heaves a sigh. His father didn't even bother giving him the benefit of the doubt considering it happened to be his birthday. Oh, not that he minds. He hates birthdays because they're usually big and always require him to play host, play "good boy". It's an act he doesn't wish to put on.

Something his father said bothers him. "Since when have you become this way?" Joshua knows he has changed. He thinks it's for the better. Maybe, maybe not. What's even more surprising is the fact that he doesn't care.

Later in the day he travels the streets of Shibuya and enters into a familiar café setting. As expected, nobody's there. It's almost always empty. He barges in through the door and says, "Hi, Mr. H."

Mr. Hanekoma hears Joshua's voice and comes into appearance. "Oh. Hey, Josh," he says, grinning. "It's been a while." Which is seriously a sarcastic remark because if anything, Joshua has been coming to the WildKat café more and more frequently.

"Haha. Very funny," Josh says. Sanae just chuckles.

"I've got something for you," he says. Josh's eyes narrow. Considering this is coming from Mr. H, you couldn't be sure what it was you were going to be getting.

However, Sanae takes out of his pocket a brand new shiny black cell phone. "Happy fifteenth." He hands it to Josh, who is looking _very _surprised. But not in a bad way. He quickly hides it, though.

"My my, Mr. H. However did you figure out today was my birthday?" he says, giggling. Sanae shrugs.

"I've got my resources," is all he says. Joshua doesn't question him. He's more busy looking at his new cell phone. And while he does so he comes to a certain realization.

Mr. H is more of a father to him than his real dad.

Not that he particularly cares, he thinks to himself. It just means he trusts Mr. H more. Sanae is also thinking along the same lines. He trusts Josh, and he's waiting for Josh to tell him that he trusts him. He's waiting for Joshua to tell him his plans about the Game. Then, he thinks to himself, then things will start to unfold.


	10. An Author's Note

**Summer Hiatus:**

Sorry for the no update. I AM working on these chapters, it's just I'm sooo lazy that it's taking REALLY long. This is the time period I call the Summer Hiatus. It's where I'm active but just barely and the updates are going to be terribly slow. I'm sure you know the feeling though. X3

~The Whether Girl


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